Automatic switch



May 24,1927. 1,629,646

F. ALDENDORFF AUTOMATIC SWITCH Original Filed 001;. 17. 1922 2' h t 5 frlrenor May 24,1927. v F. ALDENDORFF AUTOMATIC SWITCH Original Filed Oct. 17. 1922 2 SheetsSheet 2 Til WM u Jnren/o/ 6 cuww Patented May 24, 1927..

LlNl'lEQ STATES FRITZ ALDENDORFF, OF BERLIN-WILMERSDGREE,

GERMANY, AS$IGNOR OF ONE- FOURTH T PAUL KOLISCH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

Griginal application filed October 17, 1922, Serial No. 595,187, new .catent No. 1,592,323, dated July 13,

1926, and in Great Britain July 17, 1922. No. 65,304.

This invention relates in general to automatic switches and particularly to switches of a kind adapted for use in telephone systems.

The object of the invention is to produce a' switch that is cheap enough for mass production and is capable of performing the function of hunting for a desired contact among a large number of contacts at a very high speed.

Practical tests have proved that the movable contacts or wipers of my novel high speed switch can progress from a position of rest over one hundred contacts or lines in succession in a small fraction of one sec- 0nd and yet stop with certainty on any one of the contacts to which or from which a connection, such as a telephonic connection, is to be extended. My novel switch is therefore particularly useful in telephone exchange systems where it is necessary or desirable to test automatically the condition of large groups of lines or circuits.

According to the invention, the finder switches that extend the connections to the next trunk ahead are made in the form of quick-acting power driven finders. The power employed may be derived from a motor, gravity or spring. The wipers of the finders may be caused to fly straight into a group of bank contacts in which a calling trunk is located and then to move step by stop until the individual set of bank contacts belonging to the calling trunk is reached. A. long, group-marking contact and a short change-over contact is coordinated to each group of sets of. talking and testing bank contacts. A wiper stopping magnet and a subsequently operating stepping magnet are both energized with the aid of a wiper and the bank contacts of different length brushed over in a succession by this wiper. The in'ipelling power spent in setting the quick acting switch is restored when the quick acting switch is released. This restoration is effected by turning the wipers of the switch in the direction in setting: them onto a cz lling trunk.

Circuit arrangements that may be employed in connection with these switches are fully described in my United States Patent Divided and this application filed ()ctober 28, 1925.

Serial No. 1592,2323, of which this application is a division.

One method of carrying out the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the spring impelled switch and Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

The selector or finder switch in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a frame consisting of a to bridge portion 10, two vertical lateral members 11, 11, two inwardly projecting members 12, 12, a rearwardly bent bottom br'dge portion or bracket 13, forwardly bent upper bracket 14, and a rearwardly bent upper bracket 15. All the parts to 15 are preferably made of a single piece of sheet iron or metal. Attached by screws 16 to the top bridge 10 of the frame is a bearing bracket 17 2). Supported by a rearwardly projecting bracket 18, which forms a part of the lower bridge 18, is a clutch magnet 19 which consists of an iron cylinder closed at the bottom and having a core in its center. The said core is hollow and a screw 20 is screwed into its bottom end. The screw 20 is hollow at its top end and forms the bottom bearing of a shaft 21 which is journalled at the top in the bearing bracket 1. Fixed to the shaft 21 is a ratchet wheel 23 which carries pivots 23 around which an armature 24: is adapted to swing. The one end of the armature (the right hand end in Fig. 1) is normally pressed upward by a spring 25. hen the magnet 19 is encrgized the right hand end 2% of the armature is swung down round its pivot 2.3 and the left end 26 with its upwari'lly extending engaging portions is swung upward and caused to effect a coupling between the wheel 2:3 lined to the shaft 21. and the wheel 28 fixed to the bushing 29. As will appear from Fig. 2 the wheel 29 has ten perforations 31) into any one of which the upwardly projecting clutching portions 2? can be forccd. Fixed to the wheel 28 of the sleeve 29 are two springs 31, 82. in the normal position of the switch the upwardly projecting clutch member 27 forces the spring 31 out of engagement with the spring 32. Also fixed to the wheel 28 are two contact slip rings SS, 34 upon which two contact brushes 35, 36 wipe. The contact brushes 35 and 36 are fixed by screws 37, 38 to a bracket which is attached to the frame of the sleeve re leasing magnet 39. The sleeve releasing or starting magnet 39 is tixed by screws 40 to the lateral vertical portion 11 of the frame of the switch and has an armature t l pivoted at 42 which normally engages with any one oi the teeth 43 ot the wheel 28 and thus prevents this wheel from rotating. Attached by screws 4st to the left hand vertical portion 11 of the switch frame is a stepping magnet 15 which has an armature at) pivoted at l7. The armature l6 has an arm 18 whose right hand free end carries a stepping pawl 49 pivotally attached to it at 50. Vormally the righthand end of the arm 48 is pulled upward by a spring 51 through a connecting member hen the armature 46 is attracted its arm as pulls the spring 51 downward and when this spring 51 has executed a certain travel it strikes against an insulating pin 53 and thereby forces a contact spring 54 away from a contact spring 55. The spring 54 and 55 form an interrupter for interrupting the current through the stepping magnet 45.

hen the pawl 49 is in its normal position as shown its top oblique end bears against an abutment 56 fixed by screws 57 to the rem'wi-n'dly extending bracket ,15 (Fig. 1). In this position the end of the pawl 49 engages with a tooth of the wheel 22 and prevents this wheel from turning. Backward rotation of the wheel 22 is prevented by a pawl 58.

Firmly attached to the sleeve 29 are insulated brushes or wipers 59. These wipers each consist of two members with split angular ends ('59 that bear against each other when they are out ot engagement with bank contacts 61, but which press against the two opposite surfaces of a bank contact when in engagement therewith. The wipers always rotate in the same direction, which direct-ion, as viewed in Fig. 2, is clockwise. Fixed to the shaft 21 by a screw 63 is a spring box ('34: which contains a clock spring. The one end ot. this spring is attached to the box 6t and thus fixed relatively to the shaft 21 while the other end of the spring is attached to the lmshing 29. In order to pre- 'vent. the brushes 59 from turning relatively to their bushing or sleeve the external part of the sleeve, which has a round smooth bore, is made square and the holes in the brushes 59 which are threaded over the square sleeve are also made square. of course a square sleeve of insulation is interposed between the brushes and the middle metal sleeve. The middle ring-shaped portions of each brush are held at a certain distance apart by spacing rings 66. Current is conducted to each brush 59 by fixed brushes 67. Each brush 67 consists of two strips of spring metal which are pressed. together except at their internal free ends that bear against the iner surfaces of the ring-shaped middle portions of a brush or wiper 59.

- Normally the top end of the armature 41 engages with a tooth 4.3 of the wheel 28 which is fixed relatively to the bushing and its brushes 59. The wheel 22 is normally turned into a position in which it is held by the lwlding pawl. 58 and the stepping pawl and in which the clock spring in the spring box (it has a certain tension which is sntiicient, when the armature 4:1 is attracted, to turn the wheel 28 and the brushes 59 completely around the whole bank of contacts (31 at a con'maratilvcly high speed. \Vhen the brushes 59 reach a certain group of bank contacts, i. e. a group in which there is a calling line or trunk the magnet 19 is energized as is more fully explained in my United States Patent No. 1,592,323 and then the engaging portion 27 of the clutch armature is forced upward. The two members 27 and 27 will at first as a rule enter two adjacent openings 30 of the wheel. 28, but the 'vheel 28 will continue turning until the radial arm, such as 69, between the two said adjacent openings 30 slips over the spring member 27 and the two members 27 and 27' enter the same opening 30 and thus rigidly couple the wheels 28 and 22 together. The spring in the spring box is then prevented :tron'r tin-ning the. sleeve 29 with the brushes 59 further relatively to the shaft 21 and the whole rot-or consisting of the bushing 29. the brushes and the shaft 21 is brought to a dead stop, because the free end of the pawl +t9 engages with a tooth in the wheel 22 and thus prevents the rotary impulse, imparted to the rotor by the swinging round of the brushes 59, from carrying the wheel 22 round after the two wheels 22 and 28 hare been coupled by the members 27 and 27. 'hen the brushes 59 have thus been stopped, circuits are closed as explained in the aforesaid United States Patent No. 1,592,323 which halve the effect of sending stepping impulses through the magnet 41:5. The brushes 59 which had been whirled round in a continunus movement, by the spring in the spring box are now stepped forward by the steppi g magnet 45 until the particular callim or the bank contact thereof is reached: Uthcr circuit changes are now ellectczl as explained more fully in the a toresaid United States patent by which the releasing n1- nct 39 is die-energized again and at the i ie time, or at a later period, stepping impulses are a 11 sent through the magnet 4-5, the magnet 19 being de-energized at this time so that the wheel 28 is turned clockwise u'ntil one of its teeth engages with the free end of the armature 4:1 and the stepping pawl 49 turns the wheel 22 in a clockwise Hit) direction relatively to the wheel 28 until the clutch member 27 strikes against the insulating boss 70 of the spring 31 so as to separate it from the spring 32 and thus open the circuit of the stepping-magnet 45. The

spring in the spring box 64: will now be rewound and the'wipers 59, which will now be standing near the beginning of a group of bank contacts, will be ready to be whirled around again for the purpose of eflecting another connection.

I claim 1. A finder switch comprising bank contacts, wipers that cooperate with said bank contacts, a rotary wiper carrier, and a car rier stopping member that moves parallel to the direction of the length of the carrier axis arRl arrests the carrier when the wipers have reached a desired position.

2. A finder switch comprising bank contacts, wipers that cooperate with said bank contacts, a spring-impelled rotary wiper carrier, and a carrier stopping member that moves parallel to the direction of the length of the carrier axis and arrests the carrier when the wipers have reached a desired position.

3. A finder switch comprising bank contacts, wipers that cooperate with said bank contacts, a rotary wiper carrier, carrier stopping member that moves parallel to the direction of the length of the carrier axis and arrests the carrier when the wipers have reached a desired position, and means for subsequently moving the wiper carrier more slowly to another desired position. 4. A finder switch comprising bank contacts, wipers that cooperate with said bank contacts, a spring-impelled rotary wiper car rier, a carrier stopping member that moves parallel to the direction of the length of the carrier axis and arrests the carrier when the wipers have reached a desired position.

A switch comprising bank contacts, wipers that cooperate with said bank contacts, a rotary wiper carrier, an arresting member that rotates with the wiper carrier, a stepping wheel on a shaft that is coaxial with the wiper carrier, a spring for impelling' the wiper carrier in a continuous motion, one end of said spring being attached to the wiper carrier and its other end being at tached to said sl1a;tt,' a carrier stopping member mounted on said shaft and movable parallel to the direction of the length 01"" the carrier axis and adapted to arrest the carrier when the spring-impelled wipers have reached a desired position, and means tor subsequently rotating the shaft more slowly together with the wiper carrier until. the wipers have reached another desired position. r

6. A switch comprising bank contacts, wipers that cooperate with said bank contacts, a rotary wiper carrier, an arresting member that rotates with the wiper carrier, a stepping wheel 011 a shaft that is coaxial with the wiper carrier, a spring for impelling the wiper carrier in a continuous motion, one end of said spring being attached to the wiper carrier and its other end being attached to said shatt, a carrier stopping member mounted on said shaft and movable parallel to the direction of the length of the carrier axis and adapted to arrest the carrier when the spring-impelled wipers have reached a desired position, means tor subsequently rotating the shaft more slowly together with the wiper carrier until the wipers have reached another desired position, and means for atterwards rewinding said spring.

T. A switch comprising a shaft, a wiper c: rrier coaxial with said shaft, a carrier-rotating spring attached to the shaft and the carrier, a ratchet wheel fixed to the shaft, and an oscillating pawl which in its normal position, locks the ratchet wheel against rotation, and which, when oscillated, rotates the ratchet wheel together with the wiper carrier.

8. A finder switch comprising a shaft, a wiper carrier coaxial with said shaft, :1. carrier-rotating spring attached to the shatt and the carrier, a ratchet wheel fixed to the shaft, and an oscillating pawl which, in its normal position, locks the ratchet wheel against rotation, and which, when oscillated, rotates the ratchet wheel together with the wiper carrier.

9. A switch comprising a shaft, a wipercarrier coaxial with said shaft, a carrier-rotating spring attached to the shaft and the carrier, a ratchet wheel fixed to the shaft, and an oscillating pawl which, in its normal position, locks the ratchet wheel against rotation, and which, when oscillated, rotates the ratchet wheel together with the wiper carrier in the direction that the latter was rotated by the spring.

10. A switch comprising a shaft, a wipercarrier coaxial with said shatt, a carrier-rotating spring attached to the shaft and the carrier, a ratchet wheel fixed to the shatt, a coupling member for coupling the wheel to the wiper-carrier when the latter has been rotated by the spring into a desired position, and an oscillating pawl which, in its normal position, locks the ratchet wheel against ro-- tation, and which, when oscillated, rotalrn the ratchet wheel together with the wiper carrier. M

11. A switch comprising a shatt, a wipe"- carrier coaxial with said shai't, a carrie rotating spring attached to the shaft and the carrier, a. ratchet wheel fixed to the shaft, a coupling member for coupling the wheel to the wiper-carrier when the latter has been rotated by the spring into a desired position, and an oscillating pawl which, in its normal position, looks the ratchet wheel against rotation, and which, when oscillated, rotates the ratchet wheel together with the wiper carrier in the direction that the latter was rotated by the spring 12. A switch comprising a shaft, a wipercarrier coaxial with said shaft, a carrierrotating spring attached to the shaft and the carrier, aratchet wheel fixed to the shaft, a coupling member for coupling the wheel to the wiper-carrier-when the latter has been rotated by the spring into a desired position, an oscillating pawl which, in its normal position, locks the ratchet wheel against rotation, and which, when oscillated, rotates the ratchet wheel together with the wiper carrier, a magnet surrounding said shaft for operating the couplin member, and a magnet for operating the oscillating pawl.

13. A switch comprising a shaft, a wipercar .ier coaxial w th said shaft, a ca *ricrrotating spring attached to the shaft and the carrier, a ratchet wheel fixed to the shaft, a coupling member for coupling the wheel to the wiper-carrier when the latter has been rotated by the spring into a desired position, an oscillating pawl which, in its normal position, locks the ratchet wheel against rotation, and which, when oscillated, rotates the ratchet wheel together with the wiper carrier, a holding member for norn'ially'holding the wiper carrier against rotation, a magnet for operating the holding member, and a magnet for operating the oscillating pawl. I

i l. A switch comprising a shaft, a wipertarrier coaxial with said shaft, a carrierrotating spring attached to the shaft and the carrier, a ratchet wheel fixed to the shaft, a coupling member for coupling the wheel to the wipercarrier when the latter has been rotated by the spring into a desired posi tion, an oscillating pawl which, in its normal position, locks the ratchet wheel against rotation, and which, when oscillated, rotates the ratchet wheel together with the wiper carrier, a holding member'for normally holding the wiper-carrier against rotation, a magnetfor operating the holding member, a magnet for operating the coupling member, and a magnet for operating the oscillating pawl.

15. A switch comprising sets of bank contacts, wipers that cooperate with the bank contacts, a wiper carrier united with stop ping members each of which corresponds to a group of sets of bank contacts, a shaft that is coaxial with the wiper carrier, a wiperoperating spring for moving the wipers in a single continuous motion up to any desired group of bank contact sets, means for normally holding said shaft against rotation, an arresting and coupling member united with said shaft for arresting the wiper catrier and coupling it to the shaft when wipers have reached the desired group, said arresting and coupling member being movable In the direction parallel to the axis of the shaft, and means for rotating the shaft and wiper carrier together after they have been coupled.

16. A switch comprising sets of bank contacts, wipers that cooperate with the bank contacts, a wiper carrier united with stop ping members each of which corresponds to a :roup of sets of bank contacts, a shaft that is coaxial with the wiper carrier, a wiperoporating spring for moving the wipers in a single continuous motion up to any desired group of bank contact sets, means for normally holding said shaft against ibtation, an arresting and coupling member united with said shaft for arresting the wiper carrier and coupling it to the shaft when wipers have reached the desired group, said arresti and coupling member being movable in direction parallel to the axis of the sl aft, means for rotating the shaft and viper carrier together after they have been coupled, and means for subsequently rotating the shaft alone to rewind said spring.

17. A switch comprising sets of bank contacts, wipers that cooperate with the bank contacts, a wiper carrier united with stopping members each of which corresponds to a group of sets of bank contacts, a shaft that is coaxial with the wiper carrier, 9.

wiper-operating spring for moving the wipers in a single continuous motion up to any desired group of bank contact sets, means for normally holding said shaft against rotation, an arresting and coupling member united with said shaft for arresting the wiper carrier and coupling it to the shaft when wipers have reached the desired group, said arresting and coupling member being movable in the direction parallel to the axis of the shaft, means for rotating the shaft and wiper carrier together after they have been coupled, and means for subsequently rotating the shaft alone to rewind said spring, the shaft and wiper carrier being always rotated in one and the same direction.

18. A switch comprising sets of bank contacts, wipers which, when moved, all wipe over the bank contacts, a wiper carrier united with stopping members each of which corresponds toa group of sets of bank contacts, a shaft that is coaxial with the wiper carrier, a wiper-operating spring for moving the wipers in a single continuous motion up to any desired group of bank contact sets,'n'ieans for normally holding said shaft against rotation, an arresting and coupling member united with said shaft for arresting the wiper carrier and coupling itto the shaft when wipers have reached the desired group, said arresting and coupling member being movable in the direction parallel to the axis of the shaft, and means for rotating the shaft and wiper carrier together after they have been coupled.

19. A non-numerical switch comprising sets of bank-contacts, wipers that cooperate with the bank contacts, a wiper carrier united with stopping members each of which corresponds to a group of sets of bank contacts, a shaft that is coaxial with the wiper carrier, a wiper-operating spring for moving the wipers in a single continuous motion up to any desired group of bank contact sets, means for normally holding said shaft against rotation, an arresting and conpling member united with said shaft for arresting the wiper carrier and coupling it to the shaft when wipers have reached the desired group, said arresting and coupling member being movable in the direction parallel to the axis of the shaft, and means for rotating the shaft and Wiper carrier together afterthey have been coupled.

20. A switch comprising a wiper carrier, a power member tending to move said wiper carrier, a holding member for normally holding said wiper carrier against movement, a magnet for actuating said holding member to release the wiper carrier, a shaft coaxial with the wiper carrier, means for normally holding said shaft against movement, an ar resting member carried by said shaft for arresting the released wiper-carrier when the wipers have reached a desired position, said arresting member being movable in a direction parallel to the shaft, and means for rotating the shaft and the wiper carrier together after the latter has been arrested.

21. A non-numerical switch comprising a wiper carrier, a power member tending to move said wiper carrier, a holding member for normally holding said wiper carrier against movement, a magnet for actuating said holding member to release the wiper carrier, a shaft coaxial with the wiper carrier, means for normally holding said shaft against movement, an arresting member car ried by said shaft for arresting the released wiper carrier when the wipers have reached a desired position, said arresting member being movable in a direction parallel to the shaft, means for rotating the shaft and the wiper carrier together after the latter has been arrested.

22. A switch comprising a shaft, a wiper carrier coaxial with said shaft, a carrier rotating tOl'QUC-Jl'OtlHCBl attached to the shaft and the carrier, a ratchet wheel fixed to the shaft, and an oscillating pawl which, in its normal position, locks the ratchet wheel against rotation, and which when oscillated rotates the ratchet wheel together with the wiper carrier in the direction that the atter was rotated by the spring.

A switch comprising bank contacts, wipers that cooperate with said bank contacts, a rotary wiper-carrier, a shaft coaxial with said wiper-carrier, and a coupling member that positively couples the wipercarrier with the shaft when the wipers have reached a desired position.

24-. *i switch comprising bank contacts, wipers that cooperate with said bank contacts, a rotary wiper carrier, a shaft coaxial with said wiper-carrier, a couplingmember that positively couples the wiper-carrier with said shaft, and a stepping member on the shaft for rotating it step by step.

25. A finder switch comprising a wiperarrier, a spring for actuating said carrier, a. ratchet-operated device to be moved in the same direction as said carrier, means for allowin aid carrier to be moved by said spring independently of said device, a coupling member on said carrier for coupling said carrier to said device when said carrier has been moved by said spring into a desired position, an oscillating pawl which in its normal position locks said device against: movement and when oscillated moves said device and said carrier as a unit, a holding member for normally holding the carrier against movement by said spring, and means for operating said pawl.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

FRITZ ALDENDORFF. 

